Ryan Taylor will be presenting to us through Adobe Connect. That means if you can’t make it to mediaRain @ 6 for the meeting, you can still watch by going to the following link:

http://adobechats.adobe.acrobat.com/uflash/

Of course, if you come to mediaRain, you can enjoy free pizza and drinks as well as some giveaways. Also, you’ll be able to ask questions directly to Ryan.

If you only participate online, we won’t be able to provide technical support of any kind if you have troubles logging in, etc. I’ll do my best to record the meeting.

The meeting tonight will begin at 6pm with Ryan’s presentation starting sometime around 6:30pm or whenever we get the Connect room all set up and ready to go.

Hope to see you there! Let me know if you have any questions.

To stay the most up-to-date with our group announcements, please subscribe to our google group:

http://groups.google.com/group/uflash

The time has come for our first annual PhysExtravaganza! The winner can take home up to $2100 in software from Adobe* with the 2rd prize being a month’s subscription to Lynda.com (I’m still searching for other potential prizes). Here are the rules:

1. Develop a Flash project (game, experiment, useful tool, etc.) using an open source physics library such as the following (source is usually provided at the links):

* Box2d: http://box2dflash.sourceforge.net/
* APE: http://www.cove.org/ape/
* FOAM: http://code.google.com/p/foam-as3/
* Fisix: http://www.fisixengine.com/
* WOW: http://seraf.mediabox.fr/wow-engine/as3-3d-physics-engine-wow-engine/

2. Release the source code to the group
3. Comment the source code reasonably well
4. Show off your project at the meeting
5. Win the popular vote of the group (I will be the super delegate in case of a tie)

At the meeting, I will spend the first 45 minutes presenting on Box2d. The rest of the time will be used to start a project from what you’ve learned or finish up a project you’ve started on. Around 7:45 we’ll demo all the projects and put them all to the vote with the winner being one happy camper. At the very least everyone will walk away with free food, drinks, and physics source code for future projects.

The meeting details are as follows:

uFlash will be held Tuesday May 27th @ 6:30pm at RED Interactive in downtown Salt Lake City.
Pizza and drinks will be provided thanks to RED.

RED Interactive
http://ff0000.com/
230 S 500 W
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Google Map with street view looking at the building- http://tinyurl.com/65ezlg

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be sending out reminders each week before the meeting.

-
John Lindquist

Foundation Flex for Developers: Data-Driven Applications with PHP, ASP.NET, ColdFusion, and LCDS

Great Coverage of Flex with Decent Case Studies

This book was an in depth coverage of the Flex technology, from creating custom components to how to build data driven applications. There is a great chapter on integrating with the web browser using javascript or an Ajax-Flex bridge.

It goes very in depth in covering XML in Flex builder with detailed information on understanding E4X expressions. Which I will refer back to many times in my development process for these great techniques. And great best practice information for MXML.

I would have liked more coverage of how to integrate Flex with the Flash IDE type workflow. Other than creating components. There’s a good but brief overview of AS3.

The case studies for connecting to data-driven applications are pretty short but useful. The PHP chapter walks though a Flex blog management system with a tabbed interface. It walks through how to set this up in with PHP code and how to connect to a MySQL database. With all the sample files available for download on the Friends of Ed website.

The book is very long (over 500 pages) and most useful for me as a desk reference when needing assistance while working with particular items in Flex. It tries to cover so much in terms of data driven technologies that the individual case studies feel a bit shallow.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn or improve their knowledge of Flex and best practices using AS3 in Flex.

-Paul Mayne
paulmayne.org

This month Brent Arnold will be presenting on best practices for video tutorials and other video tricks. Jacob Wright will then follow up with custom metatags in flex as well as how to use the proxy class.

April 17th
6pm
mediaRain

View Larger Map

See you there!

Hey uFlashers,

Here is an outline of the things you can expect at this week’s meeting. It
will be informative and evenly-paced. If you have any questions / request,
email me at info@flashextensions.com

Rob

Part 1 - Intro to Java
Objectives:
1. Create and run a Java application
2. Intro to syntax
3. Create and call a method
4. Create and call a Class method
5. See some shortcuts that can be used in Eclipse with Java
Part 2 - Running WebOrb for Java
Objectives:
1. Learn how to run WebOrb for Java
2. Get familiar with the WebOrb Console
3. Get familiar with WebOrb directory structure
Part 3 - Create a Java service
Objectives
1. Learn common relationships between Java and Flex
2. Export a jar
3. Test our newly created Java class in WebOrb console
Part 4 - Create a Flex client
Objectives
1. Learn how to communicate with WebOrb
2. Call a method on our service
Part 5 - Returning complex data from Java
Objectives
1. Learn how to return data types from Java
2. Learn how to use jars in your Java project
Part 6 - Connect to MySQL
Objectives
1. Learn how to communicate with a database
2. Learn how to format a query result and return it
If there is time..
Bonus: Saving bitmap data
Bonus: Create a simple chat

Just a reminder…

Join uFlash for this “can’t miss” meeting!

Adobe’s RIA technologies enable you to rapidly build and deploy the most engaging applications across browsers and on the desktop. uFlash is hosting a special live event to share exciting new information on Adobe’s platform tools and technologies for building RIAs. You’ll see an exclusive user group video presentation by Adobe Chief Software Architect, Kevin Lynch, hear some important product news, plus get your hands on some exclusive schwag and other giveaways.

Be part of the fun and excitement and join the rest of the Adobe developer community by participating in this very special event.

This meeting will happen on Monday, February 25 at 6:00PM

As usual, we’ll be meeting at mediaRAIN

Just another reminder - this meeting is TOMORROW NIGHT!

Don’t forget about next week’s Adobe Flex 3 /AIR tour stop in SLC!

Adobe Evangelist Kevin Hoyt will be visiting us on January 23, 2008. This meeting will be a joint meeting of uFlash and FlexUserGroup.org.

January 23, 2008
6:30 PM

Neumont University
Salt Lake City Campus
10701 S River Front Pkwy Room 200
South Jordan, Utah, 84095

We’ll have lots of prizes, food, a big software raffle, and some great Flex / AIR info.

Mark your calendars now!

Join uFlash for this “can’t miss” meeting!

Adobe’s RIA technologies enable you to rapidly build and deploy the most engaging applications across browsers and on the desktop. uFlash is hosting a special live event to share exciting new information on Adobe’s platform tools and technologies for building RIAs. You’ll see an exclusive user group video presentation by Adobe Chief Software Architect, Kevin Lynch, hear some important product news, plus get your hands on some exclusive schwag and other giveaways.

Be part of the fun and excitement and join the rest of the Adobe developer community by participating in this very special event.

This meeting will happen on Monday, February 25 at 6:00PM

As usual, we’ll be meeting at mediaRAIN

Just a final reminder about December’s uFlash meeting which is happening TONIGHT!

Tonight’s content is being provided by you - details can be found on our blog here: http://www.uflash.org/138/december-meeting-details/

Remember, to be eligible to win the Adobe Software grand prize (up to $2100 of software) - you MUST present at the meeting tonight. Be sure to read the rules. If you plan on presenting, you MUST register with me in advance. The deadline is 5:00PM MST. If I don’t receive an email from you by 5, you will not be eligible to win the software.

There will be other prizes available for those who attend, but the only way to be entered in the drawing for the software prize is to present.

And, if this helps encourage you to get that registration in… the odds of winning are pretty good right now. ONLY 5 people have been confirmed to be presenters:

• Dustin Woodard
• Cole Joplin
• Robert Taylor
• Joe Snow
• Ellis Elkins

If you have emailed me, and are not in the list above, please let me know BEFORE 5PM.

See you tonight!